Sick Of It
by BewilderedFemale
Summary: Hermione is physically/emotionally sick of Severus Snapes behavior and she finally unloads everything she's had bottled up. 2Chapter story of Romance/Angst/Humor all rolled into one.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is just a bit inspired by my having been sick this past week and I don't know if it happens to any of you, but I tend to get pissy when I'm sick, and I wondered what ****Hermione**** would do if she had gotten pissy towards our beloved potions master... and so the fun will ensue.  
Oh! And please forgive the spelling on the names if I got it wrong, I would fix it but umm.. I'm not gonna lie, I'm too sick to care.**

So grab a NyQuil cocktail with me and ENJOY!

"SICK OF IT"

She got up out of bed and immediately felt her head spin.

Her nose was runny, her eyes were watery, and she had not gotten much sleep. Despite feeling so incredibly lousy, Hermione made the effort to move and get out of bed. She couldn't afford to miss classes now that she was so close to graduation, and her sense of responsibility would not allow her to miss a minute of knowledge at this point.

For some reason, her backpack felt like it had tripled in weight. The simple act of walking made her whole body ache, and she felt herself shivering that morning throughout breakfast.

"Herms, you don't look so hot" Harry commented.

"Yeah Mione, maybe you should take the day to..."

"Quit mothering me damn it I'm fine!" Hermione protested before Ron could finish.

Harry threw a kleenex over her way. "May wanna wipe your nose Herms, the mucus is pouring down.

"Damn it" She mumbled while she wiped her already excessive red nose. "I need to stop by the library and drop off some books so I'll see you guys in class"

"Even more reason to not go to class since we have potions first thing." Harry commented.

Hermione sighed loudly as she stood up. "Maybe it won't be so bad..."

O

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TODAY GRANGER! I SAID 2 green horned slugs, NOT 3!"

Normally Hermione always kept calm around Snape, but today was different. As he screamed practically in her face, she could actually feel the blood rise all the way from her feet to her cheeks. She felt the blood pump wildly throughout her body, and her hands formed into fists at her sides. She saw red, and her eyes popped and she visually shook with anger.

Snape momentarily stood back as he saw her reaction, he had never seen her this way.

"Why... Don't... you..." She said as she purposely pronounced each word carefully.

"Take your pathetic, attention-deprived, nasty, overbearing comments and shove them up your..." "DENTENTION AT 7:00 GRANGER, and how dare you..."

"No!" She suddenly started desperately raking her hair with her fingers making it even bushier than it was to begin with. She let out a squeal of desperation and her face became even redder than it already was.

"Oh my god, she's gonna blow!" One of the students said out loud.

"I'VE HAD IT!" She took in a deep breath and slowly walked towards the potions master as she let it all out.  
"Do you know what it's like to have to come into this insufferable classroom year after year, telling yourself over and over again as if in a Mantra, "I love potions, potions is a beautiful art form" Only to have it time and time again sucked out from me and turned into something deplorable and degrading! Why do you even bother to teach? Teachers are supposed to motivate their students to pursue what it is that they love, and you just suck the life out of everything, but everyone knows.. Oh yes! Nobody has the guts to tell you but I'm telling you now Snape!"

He began to unconsciously back up as she stepped towards him, the look on his face one of shock and insecurity at what was going on. He couldn't even think, all he could do was hear this woman spill forth everything that had been bottled up for years.

"You think people don't know that you use the excuse of education to try and break those who are strong, to turn us into lifeless, soulless beings like you! You can't bear to see anyone happy or advance in life except for your beloved Slytherins!" She quickly pointed towards a table where they were all sitting with their mouths open.

"I am finally standing up to you Severus Snape! I'm standing up for my rights as a pupil, as a witch, and as a human being! I will no longer tolerate YOUR ABUSE!"

With that, she spun around and exited the class.

There was absolute silence for a moment but then Neville began to clap, shortly followed by Harry and Ron, and then most of the class was applauding and whistling while Snape still stood with his mouth agape and in shock at what just happened.

O

"Oh my god, I've done it!" Hermione gasped as she slumped onto the floor as soon as she turned the corner.

The rush of adrenaline she had felt before was now replaced by fear and uncertainty. "Maybe the boys were right and I should've stayed in bed today."  
She got up and tried to make way towards the common room but was hit with a dizzy spell that would've caused her to fall if not for Harry who had reached out and caught her.

"Harry?"

"I'm taking you to see Madam Pomfrey, no discussion."

She suddenly trembled and Harry felt her forehead. "God Hermione, your burning up! Let's hurry!"

O

After what seemed ages, Hermione woke up to find herself lying in a bed that was not her own.  
She slowly got up and looked to the sides to find Harry there dozing in the chair next to her.

"Harry?"

At the sound of her voice, Harry's eyes shot open and he held his hand with hers.

"Your temperature feels normal now."

"How long have I been here?"

"A couple of hours, it's good that you woke up now, Snape just left."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, he wanted to see how you were doing." Harry replied.

"To give me the news personally that I'm being expelled probably." Hermione said miserably.

"Well.. I don't know.. After you left the classroom, he was the one that told me to run after you."

"LIAR!"

"Would I defend him Hermione? Oh, and he brought your stuff, you left it in the classroom after you stormed out."

It was Hermione's turn to be in shock, as she looked at her oversized bookbag in shock.  
"You know.. I still can't believe that you actually did that, but in a way, I think he needed to hear what you said.  
People underestimate you, and think you are this unfeeling machine who lives to study and nothing else. It's good that you spoke up to him that after all is said and done, we are all just human beings even if…. It was not under the best circumstances. I don't think your going to get into such trouble as you think you are, no doubt a couple detentions for having spoken back to a professor but... I get the feeling you'll see this through."

"Comforting words indeed" Hermione drawled sarcastically.

"No I mean it, I think that if he wanted to come after you, he would've wasted absolutely no time, and he certainly wouldn't have come to see how you were progressing."

In those moments, Madam Pomfrey arrived with a potion in hand.

"Alright lass, sit up so you can drink the potion professor snape made for you."

"WH... NO WAY IN HELL I"M DRINKING THAT!" She said as she stirred wildly in her bed.

"So much for your little speech Harry, the man wants to poison me now!"

"Now, now!" calmed Madam Pomfrey. "I assisted him while he made it, and I can assure you that it is not poisoned."

"Why?" Hermione starred off at nothing, "Why would he bother? Did you make him do it?" She asked as she looked at Madam Pomfrey.

"No my dear, normally when I need medicine of this caliber, I order them from St Mungos, but once I told the professor that you had developed pneumonia, he offered to brew it himself since it would take a couple of days for the medicine to arrive. So... maybe you should thank the professor when you get better, Now, open up!"

Hermione did as instructed and then shut her eyes tightly to await the changes that no doubt would ensue.  
Maybe he wasn't going to poison her but maybe he slipped something that would scar her for life. She waited, and waited, but nothing happened except a deep feeling of calm spread through her body and she immediately fell asleep.

O

This time when she awoke she instinctively swung her arm towards the chair Harry had previously occupied.

"Harry? You still here?"

She felt a warm limb and squeezed gently but opened her eyes in alarm when the limb scrambled out of her grasp.

"It is NOT Harry, Miss Granger."

"She looked up in alarm and covered half of her face with her blanket." His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were puffy. He had obviously fallen asleep on the chair and her touch had woken him.

She stayed starring at him and instead of finding the usual icy glare, he was looking at her in a contemplative manner which in turn caused her to tremble slightly but it wasn't because she was scared, it was something different that also caused butterflies in her stomach.  
_It's the illness, that is all, I must be more ill than I thought..._

She cleared her dry throat and they finally broke eye contact. "Have you been here long?"

He glanced around as if uneasy with her question and instead of answering, diverted it with another answer. "I simply wanted to make sure the potion had worked. Are you feeling better?"

Why did he care? and more importantly, why had he sat there watching over her? If anything off had occurred, Madam Pomfrey would've attended to it. He wasn't fooling anyone, she knew that there was no reason for him to be there.

She dared to look up at him again, and this time, she really looked at him. His silky hair that hung around his face, his captivating dark eyes that one could so easily get lost in. Eyes that had seen so much, she knew of his past, she knew what he had endured in his lifetime and yet he stood strong still despite everything. His lips that had slight wrinkles on the side no doubt from puckering them so much when he would do his famous scowl, but they looked soft, like pillows that one would want to capture with their own lips. That was when it hit her, that was when she understood why it had bothered her so much that this man never recognized her for what she really was. Hermione Granger was attracted to the man that she also loathed.

The tension became too much and she finally lowered her gaze and sat up. He in turn cleared his throat and she began to nervously twiddle her fingers.

"I guess you want an apology..." She began.

"Do you really feel like you should?" He asked before she could continue.  
She looked up at him in alarm, Was Severus Snape really saying this?

She thought about it before she finally answered. "I meant what I said, every single word, but it shouldn't have been shouted in front of all your students in that manner. You are still my professor and still deserve respect. So for that I am sorry."

Severus looked at her and again they simply stayed starring at each other. The look in his eyes showing something that she had never seen before, and it made her skin tingle, but this time it was he who averted his eyes, and moved around in his chair. A blush crept up to his face and Hermione wondered if it was the awkwardness of it or .. Something else... No it couldn't be.

He opened his mouth as if he were going to say something but then he abruptly closed it. He suddenly seemed deep in thought and this time when he opened his mouth again, he was perfectly clear.

"Due to the circumstances Miss Granger, your only punishment will be to serve detention with me every night once you are well, up until graduation which is only three weeks away. You can help assist me with a new line of potions we will be stocking here. Your illness has proven to the staff that even though students aren't likely to develop such grievous ones, in the event that it does happen, we should be prepared."

Hermione nodded her head agreeing "I think that is a very good decision."

He got up suddenly and began to smooth out his robes. "I will take my leave of you now, I will see you once you've recovered." He fixed her a stare that lasted longer than it should have and briskly turned and left.

Hermione sat there for a moment going over what had just happened in her mind.

"What was that?"

O

It wasn't long before Hermione was well enough to go back to her classes. Despite orders to nourish herself properly so she could be back in running order, she began to skip meals and would head straight to the library in order to catch up with her studies.

It was her second time skipping Dinner, and she had a book propped up on her lap but before she could open the book, she felt that familiar tingle and as she squeezed her eyes shut, she brought out a Kleenex from her pocket and instinctively placed it in front of her face as she let out a powerful sneeze.

Despite the noise from blowing her nose to clear up her nasal passages, she could still hear the low silky voice from behind her.

"Are you on some kind of masochistic mission to never heal from this illness of yours Miss Granger?"

She spun around quickly and saw professor Snape leaning against a bookcase with his arms crossed in front of him.

"I had understood from Madam Pomfrey that you were to properly nourish yourself, why are you here when you should be eating downstairs?"

Hermione couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance, but at the same time her heart had leapt with joy when she first heard his voice. The complication of all of her feelings mixing together with a headache, runny nose, coughing, and dizziness despite the potion she was given two days ago even though… she knew it was her fault she was still feeling so lousy. She was not taking the proper steps to heal. The whole situation was really starting to grate on her nerves.

She still couldn't understand why he was watching over her now. He had already done his part.. more than he needed too in fact. Why didn't he just let her be? Shouldn't her fit have made the man want to stay far away from her as humanly possible?

"Surely you know that I have less than three weeks left before I take my NEWTS and now with the detentions I have to serve and on top of everything else I have to do, I can't possibly expect to be prepared to pass. I still eat twice a day, skipping one meal isn't going to be that damaging. You know.. I believe that we as humans underestimate our bodies, it has the tremendous ability to adapt to any given situation."

"Is that so?" Snape replied with an amused look on his face.

"Is that why you look like the devil himself right now?"

She visibly cringed at that statement because she knew it to be true. She hadn't washed her hair in days, she had bags under her eyes and her nose was brighter than Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer.

He chuckled darkly, "I'll make a deal with you Miss Granger, you can use half of detention to 'study' if you quit this moronic idea to adapt to skipping meals. What say you?"

She thought about it for a moment and right when she was going to open her mouth to give her response, instead of words; another powerful sneeze took its place.

"We have a deal then, best hurry downstairs then, dinner is almost over." And with that he turned and swiftly left the library.

O

"What in the world is that disgusting green goo you're drinking Miss Granger?"

Hermione sighed as she slammed down her plastic measuring cup and wiped her lips of the excessive green syrup.  
"NyQuil, It's muggle medicine sir."

"Ny-what?"

"Professor, In exactly 45 minutes, I will be totally symptom-free and quite unconscious I might add. Since I am to leave here in 43 minutes, that gives me 2 minutes to get to the common room before I pass out."

"For someone as intelligent as you, that is the most idiotic- stupidest thing I've ever heard! Why would you do that?"

"Try it some time, you'll see what I mean."

"I forbid you to drink that goo ever again Miss Granger or so help me!"

Hermione began to feel the annoyance again. Ever since she told him off it's like he was pestering her even more now. She felt her mouth opening and the words were forming on her lips but instead she sighed very loudly, and then slumped her shoulders and let her head hang.

She wasn't in the mood for this, she was physically exhausted and to make things worse, she was becoming concerned that she wasn't feeling better like Madam Pomfrey said she should've. She was told to go back and see her should she not feel better but being as busy as she was now, she just couldn't waste time that way.

"Get up Granger! We're going to make Tredmisole"

"Tred-wha?"

"Something I should've made along with the other potion, this will not only make you feel better but it will cure you once and for all, but it will take longer than…"

"40 minutes?" She replied …

"Yessss… Will you still be conscious Granger?"

"Only one way to find out."

"Lovely…" He replied in his most sarcastic tone.

Together they brewed in companionable silence. Hermione passed him the ingredients and watched him in awe as he worked his potion-making magic. It was a nice change to see someone with so much experience actually make a perfect potion, and there was a moment where her eyes shifted from the cauldron over to his face which showed nothing but deep concentration on the task at hand.  
She had to admit to herself that it was actually nice spending time with him like this. When he wasn't being a condescending jerk, he was actually fun to be around.  
Snape? Fun?  
_I must really be sick!_

"Ok, that has to be left to amalgamate for 10 minutes and then it'll be ready for bottling."

When he looked over at her, he found her starring intently at him. He didn't understand why he felt an odd sensation in his stomach, or why his heart rate suddenly accelerated, but before he could think about it any further, she was getting out of her seat and stepping towards him.

"Two more minutes sir, did you need me to do anything else?"

A playful smirk appeared on his lips suddenly followed by that chuckle that was beginning to cause her to break out in goose bumps every time she heard it.

"What if I decided to keep you here longer Granger… I do need help cleaning this stuff after it's bottled."

Hermione wasn't going to walk into his trap. Acting very cool and calm, she sat back down and started to inspect her fingernails.

"Suit yourself Professor, but are you prepared to carry me back to my dormitory?"

The smirk on his face fell immediately. "WHAT WAS THAT?"

"You think I was kidding when I said that this stuff knocks you out?" She said while holding up the green bottle. "You shouldn't underestimate what muggles are capable of sir."

Severus was very close to keeping true to his word, he was actually curious to see if she would actually pass out like she claimed she would. It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to wrap his arms around her, to feel her warmth as he would have to carry her back to her dormitory.

A low growl escaped his lips as he felt betrayed by his emotions.

"Get.. going.. then.." He practically spat.

"But what about.."

"I will have someone send it to you, now LEAVE!"

O

Once she was gone from the classroom, he slumped down at a nearby chair. He sighed loudly as he glanced over where she had been sitting. He began to remember her stare, how intense it had been, nobody had ever looked at him that way before, and he would never admit to himself that he had actually enjoyed her company tonight.

There was only one explanation for it in his mind. "I must be getting sick too."

**BewilderedFemale would like to thank the makers of NyQuil for allowing her to have 11 hours of undisturbed sleep and symptom-free rest.**


	2. Sick Of It 2

**AN: Final Chapter, ENJOY!**

"SICK OF IT 2"

"What on earth is this gunk that your slathering on me Granger!"

"This is called Vicks Vapor Rub, I guarantee that you will feel better." She said as she carefully layered the strong scented cream over his neck and chest.  
Severus enjoyed her ministrations and feel of her lubricated touch much more than he should've but at the moment, being grouchy was the only emotion he could manage.

He couldn't remember a time when he felt so horrible. His eyes were red, his throat was sore, but he would be damned if he carried on like Granger did and act like he wasn't sick. He was staying put in bed and that was the end of it.

"If it weren't for your confounded foolishness and not taking care of yourself I wouldn't be sick in the first place! Now leave me in peace!"

"Now, now Sir, you know that I still have to carry out my detentions until graduation, and since your too ill to oversee it, then I shall oversee you."

He growled audibly as his teeth clashed together. Right now all he wanted was peace and solitude.

Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door followed by the cheery salutations of none other than Albus.

"My dear boy, you look like the devil himself!"

"Come to flatter me have you Albus." Severus replied moodily.

"Oh, I need to get your cold and flu tea ready, I'll be right back." Hermione then turned and trotted out of the room.

"Your lucky M'boy that she has taken the time to take care of you even if… It's with muggle medicine."

"Have you finally lost what scrap of mind you had Albus? She is the whole reason why I'm sick in the first place!"

"Now, now, I'm sure that with her remedies you will feel right as rain in now time." Albus said in a way too cheerful manner.  
"Almost the way a … _wife _tends to her husband." He finished with that despicable twinkle in his eye.

That did it.

Snape lost all restraint at that moment and sat up straight in bed, causing slight dizziness, but he was far too enraged to care.

"LISTEN TO ME ALBUS! Even if Granger were the last female on the face of the entire planet.. NO, In the entire galaxy and existence of beings! I WOULD NEVER take her as a wife. I would rather alienate myself for eternity! Her big hair, know-it-all, annoying personality would be the last thing I would attach myself to, so do me a favor Albus, don't ever insult me again with such comments!"

As Severus ranted, Albus' features visibly altered greatly from cheerfulness, to anger, to pity.

There was a long moment of silence between them, and Severus closed his eyes as if to make everything go away, his scowl still in place.

"Despite your equal intelligence and sense of duty I fear that she is more mature than you, so your right in the sense that it's better that you never unite. You are not worthy of her Severus, everything you said just now confirms it. Well, I must be off; get well."

Before Severus could say anything Albus had walked out of the room.

As he exited he bumped into Hermione who stood frozen to the spot with the hot tea in her hands. Albus lowered his eyes and sighed, then reached out and patted her softly on the shoulder.

"He doesn't mean it Miss Granger, I think it would be wise to just let him be until he has recuperated."

Hermione didn't respond, she merely shook her head and tried to compose herself.

Here she was serving him like a complete fool. He had managed to do it again, make her feel like she was lower than dirt, except that it hurt like hell this time. The pain was like nothing she had ever known.  
She thought that these past few days had been such an improvement as opposed to how they use to be around each other.

She always knew him to be cruel, it was why she told him off that day in class, but this really hurt; badly.

She momentarily thought about acting as if she hadn't heard anything, but there was no way she could look in his eyes without falling apart at his cruelty, this really had been enough. Having figured out as much, she simply left the tea on the table next to where she stood and gathered her things without so much as word or a glance at him.

Severus on the other hand drifted off moments later into sleep.

O

It was several days later that Hermione sat in potions class. Severus was finally well enough to resume teaching, and things were as usual until he asked the class a question about the homework he had given them and was already getting ready to see Hermione's hand pop up into the air. He swiftly turned around to confirm his prediction only to find her looking straight ahead with her hands down. He stayed starring at her longer than he should have and called on one of the slytherins to answer the question which was answered wrong.

During the whole of the class, she never once looked at him, nor did she speak at all, not even to her idiot friends. That's when it hit him. That night that she had been taking care of him…

_She must've heard me…_

He sighed and glanced over at her again feeling a pain that he was not expecting. He knew she was only trying to help but he was feeling miserable and Albus had started with his contemptible meddling and the last thing he wanted was for Albus to know anything about his private feelings. It was the only way! It was probably better in the end; the last thing he needed was to be feeling for some Gryffindor know it all.

At the great hall during dinner, Severus caught himself glancing over at Hermione more times than he would care to admit. Noting that she merely moved her food around and ate maybe two bites before she got up and walked out. Never once looking over at him.

_This has to stop_

Not only was it the feeling of guilt, but he actually wanted to talk to her, even if it was her bursting out at him again, hell, he deserved it. Anything was welcome so long as she was acknowledging him in some way.

He had an idea of where she was running off too and decided to get up and follow her. 

As he left the great hall, a pair of blue twinkling eyes followed him up until he was out of sight, a small smile playing on his lips.

O

Hermione sat at the far end to library, on the last row, last corner. She tried to concentrate on her reading but her emotions were getting the better of her. _Maybe he's right.. _ but then anger would over-ride her pain. Anger that no one respected her, or saw her for the good person that she was. All her life people just took advantage of her, and now it happened with the man that she was falling for and loathed at the same time.

_It's only up until graduation, then I can move on with my life and forget about him._

Severus walked about the rows of books and then he saw her.

She looked as if she was concentrating really hard, and in that moment he felt for her like he never had for anyone in a very long time. His heart went out to her as she sat there by herself hiding from the world, just as he had done on so many occasions. He walked over to her and instead of getting a startled reaction from her, she simply looked up at him with an expressionless face and then went back to reading as if he wasn't even there.

"Miss Granger! What are you doing!"

Without looking up at him, she calmly turned the page. "I think it's fairly obvious, I'm reading."

He let out a low growl. "I KNOW you're reading! I mean, why aren't you downstairs eating?"

Still not looking up, she turned the page again from her book. "I did eat."

"Do not LIE to me Miss Granger."

"I didn't know I had an audience at mealtimes." She replied still not looking at him.

"I would slap you with detention if you didn't already have it Miss Granger, which reminds me, why haven't you been coming down when I have specifically…"

He was finally interrupted. "You've been sick sir, I was told to wait until you were better."

"Tomorrow Miss Granger, I expect you there!"

She finally looked up at him, and stayed starring with expressionless eyes.

_Here it comes; the lioness is going to let me have it! Let me have it Hermione!_

Instead, she dropped her gaze back to her book and turned the page again. "If that's all professor, I really need to get back to my studying."

What? Did he hear her correctly? No retaliation?

After standing there glowering at her for some time, he stormed off; not knowing that a pair of honey-colored eyes followed him all the way to the exit.

O

Surely by detention she would be back to her normal self. He had prepared all the ingredients and they would be brewing a complicated potion he had promised Madam Pomfrey.

She came in right on time with the same expressionless face she had last time. Through out all of detention there were no smiles, no idle chatter, and she only spoke when she was spoken to and would for the most part look anywhere but at him.

When detention was over, she simply gathered her things and swept out of his class room with out a goodbye, or so much as a backward glance.

He stayed standing there looking after her long after her departure.  
This is what he had wanted from her for as long as he could remember. The silence, the no nonsense attitude without her opinions getting in the way of his thoughts. This is exactly how he wanted things to be with her and yet, he couldn't understand why he felt so miserable.

O

"Why don't you just apologize to her Severus?" Albus whispered after he caught Severus stealing a glance of Hermione for the 5th time.

He knew there was no use in denying it anymore, especially to Albus who seemed to be able to read his every thought.

"I can't.. I just can't."

"Sure you can! You're just afraid of what would happen afterwards!"

He stayed starring at Albus as if he had just cursed at him.

"Because you know full well that if she didn't feel the same way, she wouldn't be taking it so hard."

"But she's my student!"

"For what? The next couple of days?" He chuckled slightly.

"If you look for an excuse Severus, you will always find one. Are you really going to let such a brilliant woman slip from your hands?"

He didn't wait for him to answer; he rose up from the table and left the hall.

O

He waited until it was their last detention to say… He wasn't really sure what he was going to say. Apologize, but he wanted so much more than her forgiveness, and he had never had the need to express his emotions and he found the upcoming confrontation unnerving.

She walked in and avoided eye contact like she had been doing for some time now. She didn't say a word and sat across from his desk until she was given orders.

"Miss Granger.."

She looked straight ahead and not at him, but answered. "Professor?"

"Miss Granger I… will you at least look at me when I'm trying to speak to you!"

She looked over at him, but her face remained expressionless.

"Miss Granger being that this is our last detention, I can't help but notice that you've been different, and.. well, I.. are you quite alright?"

She turned suddenly to really look at him.

FINALLY he had gotten a reaction from her, and it was shock. She must've figured out he was trying to apologize.

She wasn't going to make it easy, why should she? After all, she was the last woman on earth he'd ever want to be with.

"Yes, I am fine; thank you."

"That's not what I mean!"

"Oh?" She asked looking confused. "I don't understand…" 

"You haven't been yourself Miss Granger! You come in, you don't say a word unless I ask you a question, it's not like you."

"What does it matter?"

"I'm trying to show concern for my student damn it! Now I know something is bothering you!"

"How very gracious of you professor" Hermione responded sarcastically, "Nothing is bothering me; I think it's the other way around."

His teeth began to clench together. Why did she have to make even the simple act of apologizing difficult?

"What bothers me Miss Granger, is that a so called outstanding, and marvelous Gryffindor doesn't even have the courage to face up and say what is bothering her!"

That hurt.

Like so many other of his hateful words, but she wasn't going to let this one go.

There were so many things she really wanted to say in those moments, and as she felt them about to spill forth from her mouth, she looked up into his eyes and stopped.

She saw so much in those eyes suddenly.. How or when did he move so close to her? His face was suddenly inches away from hers, and she could feel his heavy breathing on her. Her eyes moved from his and then flickered momentarily to his lips.

"You want courage _professor_?"  
Suddenly she leapt forward, causing him to fall back against his desk, thus causing the books and papers to fall to the ground. Her mouth captured his and he immediately wrapped his arms around her and positioned her small body above his.

"Oh yes.." He murmured in between kisses as he ran his fingers through her curls.

"Show me courage Granger.."

She moaned at the sound of his voice, at the closeness she had been wanting for so long and thought she'd never actually obtain.

"Oh, I will" She smiled devilishly at him.

"But I want an apology first."

Severus chuckled darkly as he ran his fingers up the sides of her body. He was about to respond when she placed her finger over his swollen lips.

"Not here, I'd prefer someplace more comfortable."

Not wasting another second, he picked her up off of the desk and swept her past the classroom and into his private quarters, leaning in to kiss her as he carried her off.

O

"So you mean to tell me that my outburst was what made you realize.."

"That I was in love with you." He finished her sentence.

They were lying replete in his large antique bed with black satin sheets. Hermione had immediately gotten quite comfortable being there with him.

She looked at him in disbelief. "You are a strange man Severus Snape."

"I just love your endearing compliments Hermione." He responded while playing with one of her curls.

Neither of them knew how much time had passed, neither of them really cared. They had finally found the root of the frustration and pent up emotion they mutually had been feeling for so long was actually a desire, a need to be with one another, and now that they finally understood; they relished in the understanding.

Severus' confession amused Hermione greatly. She never would've had that outburst in class had she not been feeling like absolute hell. She laughed out loud at the realization.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "And what does my pet find so amusing?" He stole a kiss from her before she could respond.

"Do you realize that my being sick brought us together?"

He thought about it for a moment and then let out a dark chuckle.

"Why yes, I believe you're right."

He reached over and brought her tightly against his body. He looked deeply into her eyes and smiled slightly before adding: "Come to think of it, had I not gotten sick and Albus had not come bothering me and trying to force me to come to terms with my own feelings, I wouldn't have said those horrible things which… The old fool knew.."

"How do you like that, and here I thought being sick was such a bad thing."

He leaned in and gave her a long and passionate kiss before responding:

"Yes well, now that we're not, let's make the most of our energy shall we?"

She smirked slyly at him. "Let's!"

**Bewildered Female would like to warn her fellow readers that getting sick does not guarantee ending up with a sexy potions master as she so regrettably found out herself :o(**


End file.
